John Travolta speaks out about his son's death 10 years after the tragic accident
Hollywood star John Travolta recalled the tragic experience of losing his 16-year-old son to a seizure more than a decade ago.
The 64-year-old actor described the incident as “the worst thing” ever to have happened to him. Travolta was so much distraught by Jett’s demise that he didn’t think he would “make it.”
During the traumatic time, it was the Church of Scientology that helped him and his wife, Kelly Preston, to cope with the pain.
“The church never left our side for two years. I don’t know if I would have made it through without their support. Our church is the number one thing that keeps us grounded.”
John Travolta, ET Canada, January 23, 2019
The dark times have also given the family a few positive takeaways. For one, Travolta and Preston have come to appreciate the importance of family even more.
The couple currently share daughter Ella, 18, and son Benjamin, 8, who are the first priorities in their lives at the moment. Travolta told Us Weekly that their future is “very important” for the couple.
"A relationship doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. You’ve got to keep it fun, and that’s what we do."
Travolta also opened up about how their children help them keep their “interest in life.” Describing them as being "smart kids," he stated that he is proud of them -- especially his daughter, Ella, who is now a professional actress.
Keeping children humble in Hollywood can sometimes be a daunting task, but Travolta and Preston have found a way to work through that as well.
“Helping anywhere that’s needed is a general idea,” he told Us Weekly. “It could change each day.” He further added that they keep their children grounded with ‘family dinners and chores.’
Meanwhile, Preston talked about their relationship during another interview. As one of the strongest couple in Hollywood, she opened up about what keeps their bond going strong.
“We picked the right people and [keep] it honest and [communicate] and [check] in with each other. A relationship doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. You’ve got to keep it fun, and that’s what we do,” she explained to the news outlet.
Although the reason for Jett’s demise was reported as seizure, a paramedic named Tarino Lightbourne claimed in January 2010 that he knew the “real” cause of death.
Reports emerged at the time that Lightbourne even attempted to extort hush money of $25 million from Travolta.